Hi. I want help to see if I'm doing the right thing here. Maybe I'm being dumb and you have a better idea for my problem. * My computer has 500GB of space. * I work on my projects locally and save them in an external drive (4TB) when finished (I have a backup of the external drive in another building). * Every day I sync my computer to the external drive, also to backup "projects being done". * So my external drive has two folders like: "Ready" and "Projects being done". * My Dropbox is currently syncing my local "projects being done", so I have two copies (local and Dropbox). Do you think it is a good idea to sync my external drive with the two folders to DropBox instead my local folder? If so, both folders will be back up in DropBox too. If so, who is the best way to do this? Should I unlink my account, delete the current content in DropBox and link to the external drive? What do you think? Thank you, Luiz

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Backup, sync, external drives and local backup

Hi.

I want help to see if I'm doing the right thing here. Maybe I'm being dumb and you have a better idea for my problem.

My computer has 500GB of space.
I work on my projects locally and save them in an external drive (4TB) when finished (I have a backup of the external drive in another building).
Every day I sync my computer to the external drive, also to backup "projects being done".
So my external drive has two folders like: "Ready" and "Projects being done".
My Dropbox is currently syncing my local "projects being done", so I have two copies (local and Dropbox).

Do you think it is a good idea to sync my external drive with the two folders to DropBox instead my local folder? If so, both folders will be back up in DropBox too.

If so, who is the best way to do this? Should I unlink my account, delete the current content in DropBox and link to the external drive?

What do you think?

Thank you,

Luiz

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ryan l.8

It really depends, it sounds like if anything goes wrong, your most recent work will be on dropbox, and your last sync of the files from your external HDD will be available via your offsite backup. So for me this sounds like the optimal solution and I wouldn't really change anything unless for whatever reason you feel that in the event of some problem, you want to access your folders from your HDD quickly, rather than wait for the external backup copy.

You can have the google drive folder located on an external drive, but it can cause some occasional issues if it isn't connected 24/7. In my experience it's usually fine, it'll just wait until you plug it in and not do much in between.

All comments

Rich

@Luix wrote:
Should I unlink my account, delete the current content in DropBox and link to the external drive?

Syncing to an external drive can be problematic and is not officially supported. While it can be done, it is NOT recommended as data loss can occur under the right conditions.

ryan l.8

Luix

Thank you @Rich and @ryan l.8. This helped a lot. I didn't know the external drive could be a problem to sync. I was thinking it would be simple.

And yes, it's working in the way it is now. It was more to try a better solution. I will keep as it is for now.

Thank you again.

DaveNuck

I've read that, too, but I don't see a downside.

If the drive has a problem, everything is still on the cloud.

Having a 4TB drive be my "Dropbox Drive" allows me to keep all files "local" and eliminates the frustration when files mysteriously sync on my harddrive, fill it, and crash my computer -- causing about 2 days of very frustrating fixes.

I've been using an external drive for about 6 months and I'm really happy with the way it's working.

Your mileage may vary.

Luix

@DaveNuck

Thank you. Very interesting. I'm really tempted to give it a try now. hahaha.

But how do you manage it? Do you make changes to the files in Dropbox, or just in the HardDrive? I do not plan to update anything in Dropbox site directly, just sync what I have in the External Drive.

Thank you!

Rich

@DaveNuck wrote:
I've read that, too, but I don't see a downside.

If the drive has a problem, everything is still on the cloud.

And there lies the problem. If the drive has a problem or becomes disconnected while the Dropbox application is still running, the app could see that as a mass deletion, at which point it would start deleting the files in the cloud. This isn't a theory. It HAS happened.

Are your files worth the risk? If you run on an external drive, best to have your own backup methods in place.

scotto

I'm a noob on this site so I hope this is a reasonably good place to ask my question because it seems directly related to this thread.

Background: I'm a Mac User running macOS Big Sur (11.4) on a MacMini (2018) with 500 GB SSD of Internal Disk Space. I use an application called Capture One, a photo editing application (Apple Photos and Adobe Lightroom are similar applications that are more common). I have 1 TB of Photos that are stored on a 2TB External SSD. These External SSD files are referenced by the Capture One Library that resides on my Internal SSD. Capture One requires that these files are not on a network drive and not on a cloud. They need to be accessible through the file system.

Question: I've created a Dropbox Folder on the 2TB SSD with my Dropbox 2TB Subscription. All of my referenced files are stored there and generally the SSD is always plugged into the MacMini. I've been using Dropbox as a Cloud Backup Solution (this term may not be technically accurate, if so please correct me) for my files while allowing Capture One to access them through the File System. After 6 months, no problems, but I have seen some weirdness once or twice. I've been meaning to do this research so here I am. Despite having no problems, I see that on this thread that this is not a supported method and can result in dataloss. I definitely do not want to have a problem and prefer to use Dropbox in a supported manner. Is there a way to use Dropbox in a recommended way to support my workflow. Your recommendations would be very helpful. Thanks!

Jay

Hi @scotto, you can check out my post on how having your Dropbox folder stored on an external drive could cause data loss.

It should contain some useful info there.

scotto

Jay, thanks for the quick reply. I’ll take a look and see how I can adjust. Thank you for your help!

Luix

@scotto,

@Jay post is very good and will help you. Thank you, Jay!

Our cases are very similar. I decided to do not trust Dropbox 100%. 🙂 I know it is more work, but:

Sync app do not open at startup.
External drive is not connect all the time.
So, like every 2 to 3 days I connect the drive, open the Sync app and let them talk to each other. 🙂
Until now, everything is okay.

I know it's not the idea, but like you, I have less SSD than I need. Anyway, I keep backing up the external drive to another external drive (different location, don't worry) once a month.

Hope it helps you too.

scotto

@Luix thanks for your input. It’s good to know what others are doing with their computer workflow!

Adam G.18

I discovered this thread because was considering moving my Dropbox Folder to an External SSD and have my foot on the brake because of @Jay 's very useful comprehensive linked post describing how files could be lost. I have the same problem as the OP - a 500Gb Macbook Pro Drive and a 2TB Dropbox account which I have never been able to use more than a quarter because the MBPro gets too full.

I also found that Smartsync is great in theory but in practise over months making space on my MBPro hardrive means that suddenly when I need stuff it has to download to Local and the interruption to workflow is jarring. So Smartsync is not that much use to me personally after all.

I bought a 2TB External SSD and moving stuff over there and then thought, I would love to back up on the Cloud somewhere else... then someone said you could locate your Dropbox Folder externally - so am now exploring moving everthing to the 2TB External SSD and making that my Dropbox Folder.

* * *

1/ Is there a recommended safe and wise and supported way to do this?

2/ Jay's points about Dropbox disconnecting accidentally and wiping stuff by default from an externally connected Dropbox Folder send shivers up the spine! The way I have used Dropbox is never to automatically sync any file. The act of manually dragging a file or folder to the Dropbox is my only method of syncing - and conversely pulling it out of the Dropbox Folder to somewhere else is the only way I would ever move anything off Dropbox or delete it. Is there a way to say to Dropbox " Never delete anything unless it is manually done"?

3/ Folks at Dropbox - could you not set up an official recommended safe and supported method by Dropbox because otherwise all of us with a MacbookPro laptop of only 500Gb and a 2TB account are not really able to make full use of Dropbox?

Accadrolli A.

Just to add to the discussion, yesterday i personally found the risk of placing the dropbox folder in a external HDD. I have several computers where i keep my files synced with Dropbox (one at work, another at home and a third in my laptop).

My computer at work only has a 240gb SSD for windows and files, so i connected a 1TB external drive for my files (i have roughly 600gb of files) and set dropbox default folder to the external HDD. It was working fine for months without any issue.

Then last friday i forgot to turn off my work computer and apparently it keep running for all weekend and, around 4pm on Sunday, the external HDD died.

Dropbox apparently interpreted the external hdd failure as a mass deletion order and deleted ALL my files on all machines. Today (monday) when i arrived at work i saw the dead HDD, and since i brought my laptop i simply tought that i would work today from the Laptop until i got another HDD, but when i turned the laptop on, dropbox immediatelly started deleting all my files on the laptop.

I immediatelly accessed dropbox homepage and ordered it to restore the files, but now i´m looking at an estimated 8hs for full restoration.

So, beware of using external HDDs for the dropbox folder.

scotto

@Accadrolli A.
I’m really glad that you were able to recover your files.

Today, I use a separate Cloud Sync (either Dropbox or iCloud Drive) service and Cloud Backup (Backblaze) service. Backblaze offers version control on a backup for longer than 30 days for another $2/mo. After some of my own self-inflicted data scares, I have my Backblaze account set to 1 year of backup versioning. There is also Backblaze B2 service that is worth a look. I was using Dropbox on a External Drive until I discovered others, like you, who had bad experiences. After all, Dropbox doesn’t recommend doing this but I hadn’t realized that until after I had been using it on an external drive for several months Thanks for sharing to the community. *Dropbox is a great product if used as a Sync tool along with some other backup procedure.* Likewise, Backblaze is a great product, and a good value, as a backup tool. In addition, a local, disconnected copy of all your data on an HDD or SSD is more important than ever if one of these services gets a hiccup, or God Forbid, there is a randomware attack or other unforeseen problem. Even if the local copy is a month old, you can’t suffer a total loss if things get crazy! That way you have a sync, a cloud backup, and a local backup. It sounds like you know what you are doing already. Just posting this in case it helps someone. Best wishes!

dversari

Actually, when the symlinks used to work (couple of years ago...) Dropbox never deleted a single file. I had my picture folder in an external drive and symlinked it into Dropbox folder. Even if the external drive was disconnected (intentionally or accidentally) not a single file has never been delated in the Dropbox cloud (probably DB was able to "understand" that a disconnected drive does not mean that the user wanted to delete everything!). Why did you change?

Miraflor9000

is it really not supported? I'm running an M2 Macbook Pro and an M1 Mac Mini. I actually have Dropbox synced to an External 3.5" 4TB HDD that's inside an enclosure. I'm actually able to disconnect either computer and connect it to the external hdd and it works just fine. Been doing this for over a year and a half now.

I say go for it. It clears up space on your internal ssd, and you can bring around the external hdd with you if you ever need to be mobile. I do it this way cause sometimes I need the content that's on my dropbox but I don't have immediate access to wifi or ethernet internet. Having a physical dropbox folder on a hard drive allows me to access the files wherever I go.

To each their own, I don't know the "compatibility" but it's been working great so far.

I'll say this though, when you turn on your computer and boot into your OS (operating system if any noobs are reading this) and Dropbox is one of the starting up programs, it will prompt you and give you a message that it can't find the Dropbox Folder if your drive isn't connected to your computer. When that happens, always choose the cancel or quit button. Don't do the re-link or unlink thing cause that will make you have to resync again. If you know you have to use your dropbox and sync, plug it into your laptop/computer before turning it on and logging in to your OS.

Good luck!

Luix

Hi.

Interesting moment I get your message, @Miraflor9000. I just bought a new 8TB external drive and decided to sync DropBox to it. After a week, it finished last Sunday. It is working okay. Thank you for sharing your experience. I don't know why Dropbox says syncing to External Drives are a problem, it looks fine until now.

Thank you again!

Rich

@Luix wrote:
I don't know why Dropbox says syncing to External Drives are a problem ...

Because it can be, and HAS BEEN, a problem. Yes, some people have had success, but many other people storing Dropbox on an external drive have lost all of their files as a result of a problem with the drive or it becoming disconnected while Dropbox was running. This is why Dropbox warns against it.

Miraflor9000

Gotcha! haha so random cause I was just randomly looking at the forum.

hmm so you just purchased an 8TB? That's gotta be a drive that's plugged in with an AC adapter for power, correct?

Not sure if you already have the set up, but I highly recommend purchasing something like an APC or Cyberpower Battery Backup Surge Protector. I have any external drives that run on AC wall outlet power attached to these. So just in case the power goes out, they won't get damaged internally by a power outage or something. The internal battery of the surge protectors will switch on and they keep the drives powered long enough for me to be able to disconnect and power them off myself.

As Rich has mentioned above, a power outage could damage any hard drive and result in failure.

Welp, hope your drive stays alive and works.

& when in doubt, always make a backup of your backup and you'll be fine.

Luix

Thank you, @Rich and @Miraflor9000.

My problem here was some vendors sent me some video projects in the past via DropBox, so they were all stored in there ONLY. I need to say I was counting on luck until last week. Now I have a physical backup too, and this backup is copied to an AWS server, so I'm kind of safe for now. Hahaha.

About the power outage issue, you are right again. Good idea! Thank you!